Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes, Men Quotes, Law Quotes

Whoever desires to found a state and give it laws, must start with assuming that all men are bad and ever ready to display their vicious nature, whenever they may find occasion for it.

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A son could bear with great complacency, the death of his father, while the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.

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Gold will not always get you good soldiers, but good soldiers can get you gold.

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Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Men Quotes , Numbers Quotes

One can generally say this about men: that they are ungrateful, fickle, simulators and deceivers, avoiders of danger, greedy for gain; and while you work for their good they are completely yours, offering you their blood, their property, their lives, and their sons when danger is far away; but when it comes nearer to you, they turn away.

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One must be a fox to recognize traps and a lion to frighten wolves

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Sometimes it has been of great moment while the fight is going on, to disseminate words that pronounce the enemies' captain to be dead, or to have been conquered by another part of the army. Many times this has given victory to him who used it.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Art Quotes , War Quotes

No proceeding is better than that which you have concealed from the enemy until the time you have executed it. To know how to recognize an opportunity in war, and take it, benefits you more than anything else. Nature creates few men brave, industry and training makes many. Discipline in war counts more than fury.

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Many have imagined republics and principalities which have never been seen or known to exist in reality; for how we live is so far removed from how we ought to live, that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done, will rather bring about his own ruin than his preservation.

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In the armies and among every ten men there is one of more life, of more heart, or at least of more authority, who with his courage, with words and by example keeps the others firm and disposed to fight.

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You do not know the unfathomable cowardice of humanity...servile in the face of force, pitiless in the face of weakness, implacable before blunders, indulgent before crimes...and patient to the point of martyrdom before all the violences of bold despotism.

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Tags : Niccolo Machiavelli Quotes , Humanity Quotes , Liberty Quotes

Never lead your soldiers to battle if you have not first confirmed their spirit and known them to be without fear and ordered; and never test them except when you see that they hope to win.

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Besides what has been said, people are fickle by nature; and it is a simple to convince them of something but difficult to hold them in that conviction; and, therefore, affairs should be managed in such a way that when they no longer believe, they can be made to believe by force.

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Since the handling of arms is a beautiful spectacle, it is delightful to young men.

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The Swiss are well armed and enjoy great freedom.

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Though fraud in all other actions be odious, yet in matters of war it is laudable and glorious, and he who overcomes his enemies by stratagem is as much to be praised as he who overcomes them by force.

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There is no avoiding war; it can only be postponed to the advantage of others.

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...the incredulity of mankind, who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.

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Every little advantage is of great moment when men have to come to blows.

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States that rise quickly, just as all the other things of nature that are born and grow rapidly, cannot have roots and ramifications; the first bad weather kills them

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